Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Thursday reaffirmed that the government will not tolerate abusive behavior by foreigners visiting the Philippines, following the arrest of two foreign vloggers who went viral for mocking Filipinos and spreading health scares.
“Again, minamahal natin ang turista, ang turismo ay malaking bagay sa ating ekonomiya, Pero kung ang mga dayuhan na ito ay (niloloko) tayo ay hindi natin a-atrasan ito. Bibigyan natin ng buong bigat ng batas para maramdaman nila na kung maganda ang Pilipinas sa pag-iikot, sila ay mas magagandahan pag nasa loob na ng preso,” Remulla said during a press briefing at Camp Crame.
Nikita Chekhov was apprehended by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) Fugitive Search Unit inside a condominium in Quezon City after he threatened to spread human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.
Remulla clarified that Chekhov tested negative for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
“Nagpapasikat lang, ginagamit (niya) ang mga Pilipino,” Remulla stated.
Estonian vlogger Siim Roosipuu was also arrested by BI intelligence operatives and an anti-terrorist group, in coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP) Dumaguete City Police Station and Barangay Cantil-e officials, for posting disrespectful content involving minors.
Both Chekhov and Roosipuu are now in BI custody and undergoing deportation proceedings.
Earlier, on January 17, immigration authorities deported Russian vlogger Vitaly Zdorovetskiy after nine months of detention in the country.
Arrested in April last year, Zdorovetskiy was known for prank videos and was recorded harassing a security guard, shouting expletives at a Filipino woman wearing a face mask, stealing an electric fan, and crashing a tricycle into a parked jeepney.
Remulla emphasized that foreign visitors who disrespect Filipinos or abuse their stay will face strict consequences under Philippine law.